1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal switching method and a signal switching apparatus using a routing switcher (matrix switcher).
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional signal switching apparatus of this kind will be explained.
This signal switching apparatus has a switching control means and a control unit described later. The switching control means controls the operation of a routing switcher having plural input terminals and plural output terminals and the operations of cross point switches of the routing switcher. A combination of selected cross point switches among the plural cross point switches of the routing switcher is simultaneously turned on by the switching control means. Thus, a source information signal from an input side information equipment (source equipment) such as an audio unit, a video unit, a video/audio unit, etc. connected to an input terminal corresponding to each of the selected cross point switches is supplied to an output side information equipment (destination equipment) such as an audio unit, a video unit, a video/audio unit, etc. connected to an output terminal corresponding to each of the selected cross point switches.
Plural combinations of the cross point switches are set in the routing switcher. A phantom identification name {phantom identification code} is provided to each of the combinations of the cross point switches. For example, the phantom identification name is a nickname and the phantom identification code is a number.
A source identification name (or source identification code) and a destination identification name (or destination identification code) are respectively provided to a combination of the input terminals and a combination of the output terminals corresponding to a certain combination of the cross point switches of the routing switcher. An input information signal (source information signal) supplied to the combination of the input terminals having the source identification name is not limited to an information signal from one input side information equipment (source information equipment), but is constructed by information signals from plural input side information equipment (source information equipment) in a certain case. Similarly, an output information signal (destination information signal) outputted from the combination of the output terminals having the destination identification name is not limited to an output information signal (destination information signal) transmitted to one output side information equipment (destination information equipment), but is constructed by output information signals (destination information signals) transmitted to plural output side information equipments (destination information equipments) in a certain case. For example, these identification names are names of real or phantom information equipments and the identification codes are numbers.
The control unit will next be explained. This control unit has a switching control data generating means for generating switching control data for simultaneously turning on a combination of cross point switches of cross point phantom identification names (or cross point phantom identification codes) selected among the plural cross point phantom identification names {or cross point phantom identification codes}. The switching control data from this switching control data generating means are supplied to the switching control means and the combination of selected cross point switches of the routing switcher is simultaneously turned on.
This control unit (remote control unit) has plural destination operating switches respectively having destination identification names (or destination identification codes) and plural source operating switches respectively having source identification names (or source identification codes). Each of the destination identification names (or destination identification codes) is provided to an operating button of a destination operating key, or is provided onto a panel on a side of this operating button. Similarly, each of the source identification names (or source identification codes) is provided to an operating button of a source operating key, or is provided onto a panel on a side of this operating button.
A destination operating switch selected among the plural destination operating switches is operated. Thereafter, a source operating switch selected among the plural source operating switches is operated. Thus, switching control data of a cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) according to a combination of the selected destination operating switch and the selected source operating switch are generated from the switching control data generating means.
The switching control data generating means has a memory means for storing plural cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) data of the routing switcher according to a combination of plural destination operating switches and plural source operating switches respectively providing destination identification name (or destination identification code) data and source identification name (or source identification code) data.
The destination identification name (or destination identification code) data are generated by operating a selected one of the plural destination operating switches or the plural destination operating switches. Thereafter, the source identification name data are generated by a selected one of the plural source operating switches or the plural source operating switches. The switching control data of a cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) are read from the memory means on the basis of these destination identification name data and these source identification name data. The switching control data of this cross point phantom identification name are supplied to the switching control means.
One or plural combinations of cross point switches having the cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) of the routing switcher are simultaneously turned on.
Switching data of a cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) having no source identification name (or source identification code) data are read from the memory means by independently operating one portion of the source operating switches irrespective of operations of the destination operating switches. The read switching data are supplied to the switching control means so that one or plural combinations of cross point switches having the cross point phantom identification name of the routing switcher are simultaneously turned on.
An operation of the conventional signal switching apparatus will next be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, a destination operating switch selected from the plural destination operating switches is operated in advance (an operating button is pushed). Destination identification name data (signal) based on the operation of this destination operating switch are accumulated to a register, etc.
Further, a source operating switch selected from the plural source operating switches of a remote control panel is operated to generate source identification name data (signal) which are accumulated to a register, etc. (step ST-11).
All switching data of a cross point phantom identification name {or cross point phantom identification code} having destination identification name data of the same destination identification name as a destination identification name of the operated destination operating switch are read from the memory means (step ST-12). It is then judged (in step ST-13) whether there are the same source identification name data as source identification names (or source identification codes) of the plural source operating switches or not. If this judgment is NO, when the source operating switch of a source identification name corresponding to switching data of a cross point phantom identification name not having these source identification name data is selected and operated, the switching data of the cross point phantom identification name not having these source identification name data are supplied to the switching control means irrespective of the operation of the destination operating switch. Then, a selected combination of cross point switches of the routing switcher is simultaneously turned on.
When the judgment in the step ST-13 is YES, switching data of a cross point phantom identification name having source identification name data of the same source operating switch as the source identification name of the selected and operated source operating switch are collected in a step ST-14. The collected switching data of the cross point phantom identification name are outputted to an S-BUS (SONY routing switcher remote control cable) (step ST-15) and are supplied to the switching control means. Then, the selected combination of the cross point switches in the routing switcher is simultaneously turned on.
In the above conventional signal switching apparatus, the switching control data generating means has the memory means for storing switching data of plural cross point phantom identification names of the routing switcher according to a combination of the plural destination operating switches and the plural source operating switches respectively providing the destination identification name data and the source identification name data. A destination operating switch selected from the plural destination operating switches is operated. Thereafter, a source operating switch selected from the plural source operating switches is operated. Thus, switching control data of a cross point phantom identification name (or cross point phantom identification code) according to a combination of the selected destination operating switch and the selected source operating switch are obtained from the memory means and are supplied to the switching control means of the routing switcher. Accordingly, it is necessary to set a memory capacity of the memory means to be large.